The Never Ending Story
by TartCat207
Summary: A series of entirely unrelated drabbles and short stories. All written for the Houses Competition. Enjoy!
1. Home is Where the Heart is

**AN: Yay! I'm back with a new story. These will all be written for the Houses Competition and maybe occasionally a few other challenges. Enjoy!**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Themed**

 **Prompt: Home Sweet Home**

 **Word Count (not including AN): 507**

 **Now, without further ado, I present to you: Home is Where the Heart is.**

Sixteen year-old Sirius Black lay curled up under his blanket in bed one late, cold, rainy night, his grey eyes unwavering as he stared at the floor of his bedroom, unseeing, lost in thought. His dark hair fell over his stormy eyes as images of everything that had happened since his first year at Hogwarts flashed through his head, just as they did every night.

His mother had sent him a Howler on his first day when she had heard he had gotten into Gryffindor, screaming about how he had brought shame on the whole family. He had been an outcast in his own home ever since then. _But no,_ he thought, _this wasn't home._ Home is a place where you can find comfort and love - he hadn't felt that here in years. He was always shunted by his parents, Kreacher, Regulus…

He thought about Regulus, his little brother. He always followed the family rules; he had always been the 'better child', as Sirius was constantly reminded by his parents. His parents, who were always pure-blood crazed and considered themselves superior to everyone because of the family name that they proudly upheld, the very one that Sirius despised: _Black_. His parents were convinced that it made you practically royal, while he was sure that everyone hated him for it. All except his best friends, Remus, Peter, and James.

James… they had been best friends since the moment they had laid eyes on each other. Sirius would give anything to be a part of James' great family instead of his horrible one… And suddenly he knew what to do. He sat up straight, amazed at himself. Why didn't he think of it sooner? Sirius finally cracked a smile.

But...

He mulled the idea over in his head, thinking. If he did it, he would never be welcomed in this house again, he knew that. He would be blasted off the family tree and disowned. And what if the Potters didn't accept him? There was always that possibility - Then he would have no place to stay whatsoever.

But then again, James would never turn him away. They were best friends – no, brothers, right? And brothers would never do that to each other. So he might as well give it a try. He was going to run away.

He slowly slid off his bed, careful not to make a sound as to wake his parents. He tiptoed to his drawer, pulled out all of his belongings and stuffed them haphazardly into his trunk. He changed into his robes, grabbed his wand, slid open the window, and levitated himself onto the muddy ground below.

He then hopped onto his broom and flew off into the night, not minding the rain the beat down on his head, not minding the mud that now adorned his shoes, not minding that he was breaking the Statute of Secrecy, and not minding that he was expelled from his family forever, for he knew that he was on his way to home sweet home.


	2. Afternoon Tea

**AN: Well, here is the second story! I really like this one, and I hope you will like it too!**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Drabble**

 **Prompt: Eavesdropping**

 **Word count (not including the AN): 550**

 **Now, here is the latest (well, currently latest) story: Afternoon Tea.**

On Saturday afternoons, Harry and Ginny would often invite their friends over for tea on the fancy wooden patio, where all the wood sparkled as it basked in the bright sunlight, and they would talk about things that 'children should not hear.'

But James Sirius Potter was having none of that.

Which was why, on a lovely, bright, sunny, Saturday afternoon in spring - when normal children would be outside enjoying the sunlight and the warmth that it brought after a tough winter - ten year-old James Potter was to be found creeping quietly inside the large, teal blue house that was deemed 'Potter Mansion' by the Ministry of Magic, but his mum and dad just liked to call 'home'. He slowly made his way to the entrance of the patio. He glued himself to the wall and shuffled carefully to the side, going as close to the entrance as possible without getting caught.

"…You want to know something?" Harry was saying. James' breath caught in his throat. He was eavesdropping on a super secret top-secret secret!

"James," he paused dramatically, "was adopted."

There were collective gasps, which was lucky for James, because if there had not been they would have heard his own very loud gasp. "Adopted?" Uncle Neville said. James could picture him leaning across the table to Harry, his round eyes and open mouth as he said it.

"Yeah," said Ginny, "we found him in a little box while we were shopping in Diagon Alley. A note was attached to it, saying, 'Please take care of my little girl.'" There were more gasps. James was trembling as he sneaked a peek at the patio.

"'Little girl'?" asked Aunt Luna. "I thought James was a boy!" "No," Harry shook his head solemnly. "Me and Gin had always wanted our first child to be a boy, so we just… magicked his private parts into boys' ones."

James quickly withdrew his head out of the room. He was a girl?! This had to be some kind of joke, but why would his parents lie to their friends? He quickly strained his ears to hear more.

"You know what else?" Harry continued. "James is a Squib." James started panicking. _No!_ he thought. _This can't be possible! Now I'll never get to go to Hogwarts!_

"Yeah, those bursts of accidental magic James did – they were really Albus'. We told him that he had to pass them off as James' so he wouldn't be disappointed." said Ginny. James gasped again. So that was why every time he had done accidental magic it had been near Albus! And he had never told him! They were supposed to be brothers!

"And guess what?" Harry asked as his voice dropped to a whisper, "The note on the box was signed, 'Severus Snape'."

James fainted. A loud thump was heard on the deck as he hit the floor.

Harry came over and smiled when he saw his oldest son sprawled out in front of him. "Thanks, guys," he called back to them. "James has taken on a habit of eavesdropping lately." "Sure," said Neville, grinning. "Just wait 'til he finds out none of it is true!"

And when James woke up an hour later, he found the words 'Fooled you!' written across his forehead in red ink.


	3. Take a Chance

**Here's another story! You know the drill:**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Short Story**

 **Prompts: Lucius/Narcissa, Scorpius Malfoy, Taking a Chance**

 **Word Count (not including AN): 903**

 **This piece is called Take a Chance. Enjoy!**

Scorpius took a deep, calming breath as he neared the marble house he called home; Malfoy Manor. It sparkled in the fading sunlight, welcoming dusk that was sure to come soon. The black, spiked gates opened as he approached them, sensing a member of the family. He walked purposefully down the cobble path, ignoring the squawking of pure white peacocks as he passed them.

Today was going to be nerve-wracking. It was the day that he would be telling his grandparents something which he could only hope would go over well with them: He was dating Rose Weasley.

He knew that his grandparents weren't as bad about blood traitors as they were when his dad went to Hogwarts. His dad had told him so. Before, they believed that the entire Wizarding race would be better off without blood traitors in their lives, he had said. Now, even though they no longer treated them like scum, they still didn't like them. They believed that it would be a total disgrace for a Malfoy to befriend one, let alone date one.

He would just have to hope.

He stopped in front of the massive double-doors, pushing them open with a moment of hesitation. Stepping inside, he took another shuddering breath, and walked as slowly as possible, trying to stall the moment when he would enter the dining room, where his family would be having dinner with his grandparents to celebrate his coming of age. However, time always seems to speed up as you approach something you're dreading. Too soon he arrived at yet another set of doors, these ones leading to the dining area. He paused at the door, steeling himself for what was about to come. Scorpius turned the knob and swung it open.

Scorpius' mother, father, grandfather, and grandmother were all already seated at the table. They all looked up as he entered the room.

"Scorpius," said Scorpius' father, Draco. "Finally! Now we can start dinner. House-elves!" The little servants to the Malfoy family came hurrying into the room, carrying wobbling trays of food high above their heads. Scorpius was served a wide array of food, all of them his favorites. He picked up his fork and knife and slowly started to eat.

For a minute, the only sounds to be heard were the clinking and scraping of utensils on plates as everyone ate.

"So, Scorpius," asked his grandmother, Narcissa. She had a pale, pointed face and dirty blonde hair. "How is school going?"

"Good," Scorpius replied dully, not really interested in the conversation.

"Don't let the Mudbloods get you down," said Lucius, his grandfather, with a smile. His pale white face was slightly sunken from years of serving in Azkaban and his silvery blonde hair, so much like Scorpius and his father's, was slightly more unkempt than the years before. Scorpius' mother, Astoria, gave a slight cough at her seat next to his father.

As she wasn't a Malfoy by blood, she was not allowed to oppose her parents-in-law, and, therefore, not allowed to voice her opinion on Muggleborns. She was a Slytherin while she was in school, but one of the good ones, like Scorpius' Aunt Andromeda. She didn't mind Muggleborns or blood traitors all that much, luckily for Scorpius. He was almost positive that she wouldn't be _too_ furious when he made the big announcement.

As the adults talked and dined, Scorpius sat in a nervous silence, quietly eating his meal. He knew the moment would have to come soon.

A few minutes later, everyone had finished their dinner and was moving onto dessert, a delicious assortment of ice-cream, when Narcissa clinked her spoon on her glass and stood up. "I propose a toast," she announced, picking up her goblet and raising it into the air. "Are there any words you would like to say, Scorpius? After all, this is your celebration." She sat back down, having already gotten everyone's attention.

Scorpius gulped as all eyes landed on him. It was now or never.

"Er - yes, actually. I have an announcement to make." he said. "Er - I am - er - uhh, actually - er - I'mdatingRoseWeasley." He said the last part in a rush, hoping against hope that if they heard it faster it would go over better.

"What was that, son?" asked Draco, his expression concerned at Scorpius' state. Scorpius bit his lip.

"I'm dating Rose Weasley." he said loudly and clearly.

They stared at him. He waited. Finally, they broke into wide smiles.

"About time!" exclaimed Lucius, the person who Scorpius thought would be most mad about it. "Yes, I quite agree. What took you so long?" asked Narcissa, walking over and enveloping him in a warm hug. His parents just looked over the scene with smiles on their faces.

"Wait," said Scorpius, confused. He gently released himself from his grandmother's embrace. "So, you're not mad?"

"Mad? Why would we be mad that you finally got the girl that you've been chasing after for so long?" asked Lucius.

"Well - I just thought -" muttered Scorpius, feeling stupider by the minute.

"You thought that since she was part of the Weasley family that we wouldn't like her?" asked Draco, smiling at his son's logic. "We're all already over all that nonsense, right, Tori?" His mother nodded. "We're perfectly fine with you dating Rose," she said, "as long as you're happy."

And so Scorpius learned that sometimes, you just have to take a chance.


	4. Noises in the Night

**Here's the first story for Round Four of the competition! I hope you like it!**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Themed**

 **Prompts: "As he/she/name walked into their former childhood bedroom," and Under the Bed**

 **Word Count (not including the AN): 682**

 **Now, I present to you: Noises in the Night.**

As Remus Lupin walked into his former childhood bedroom, he felt a wave of memories, dust, and cobwebs wash over him. Tears stung his eyes - from the memories or dust, it was impossible to tell.

He walked slowly, as if in a trance, to his old bed. He touched the covers tenderly as he started to remember that night…

* * *

 _It is the year 1964, and four-year-old Remus lies under the dark blue covers of his oaken-framed bed. His face looks ghostly white under the bright full moon that shines in the night sky as he tries to fall asleep._

 _Suddenly, he hears a rustling noise that pierces the silent room. He sits straight up so fast that it seems like he's electrocuted. It certainly feels like it to Remus. He's shaking in his boots. But, being surprisingly smart for a four year old, he gathers his senses and decides that it was simply a gust of wind ruffling one of his pictures taped up onto the walls._

 _He lies back down and closes his eyes once more. He's almost asleep when he hears the noise again._

 _Ruffle, ruffle._

 _Ruffle, ruffle._

 _He sits up again and strains his ears to hear the strange sound._

 _Ruffle, ruffle._

 _It seems to be coming from under the bed._

 _Remus' body tenses. He had heard stories from his mum about monsters that came in the night and hid under your bed. But none of those monsters could be here right now, right?_

 _Right?_

 _Remus can hear his heart beating loud and fast inside his chest. He's sure that there's no monsters under his bed… but just to be safe…_

" _Daddy!" Remus calls. Lyall Lupin opens the door with a soft creak._

" _Yes, Remus?" he asks._

" _Daddy, there's a monster under my bed." he says, pointing at the covers he's sitting on to indicate the monster under the bed._

 _Lyall sighs. "There's no such thing as monsters under your bed," he replies._

" _But mummy said-"_

" _Those were just stories, Remus. They're not real."_

" _...Okay."_

" _Good. Now try to go back to sleep, okay?"_

" _Yes, daddy."_

 _As Lyall exits the room, Remus lies down for the third time that night and, once again, attempts to fall asleep. He trusts his father, and doesn't give the monster another thought._

* * *

But, as four-year-old Remus would find out soon, his father should have checked.

Remus sighed. He knew what happened next, of course, but it wasn't a happy tale. Not a happy tale at all…

* * *

 _Remus lies in his bed, fast asleep this time, his soft snores filling the silent room. But suddenly, another noise punctuates the sleeping bedroom. Not a ruffle. A thump of heavy footsteps. And that thump of heavy footsteps is coming from a tall, dark shadowy figure. And that tall, dark shadowy figure is heading right for Remus._

 _Thump, thump._

 _Thump, thump._

 _Remus wakes with a jolt. He looks around in a panic, trying to find what had woken him up. His eyes find the dark figure and he lets out a loud yelp. He starts screaming. "Daddy!" he yells. "Daddy! Mum! Help me!" But the dark figure just advances on him, getting closer with each passing second. "Daddy! Help!" There's a scary man in my room! Help!"_

* * *

And the rest, as they say, was history. Remus remembered it all, standing there at his bed with memories of that night. He remembered just how his father had come rushing into the room only to see Greyback mauling his son; how he had blasted Greyback with his wand; how his face had been murderous and terrified at the same time. He remembered how his life had never been the same again after that night. How he had heard noises in the night, and if he had bothered to check under his bed he might not even have this condition at all…

But no amount of regretting can change the past.

 _And that's what life's all about,_ Remus thought, _you make mistakes and then you learn from them, because mistakes are what shape us to be who we are today._


	5. Plucking a Wallflower

**Here's another story! Enjoy!**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Drabble**

 **Prompt: Fred/Hermione**

 **Word Count (not including the AN): 564**

 **Now, here it is: Plucking a Wallflower.**

It was Bill and Fleur's wedding, and couples were spread across the dance floor, swaying, twirling, and dipping to the soft, romantic music.

Hermione sat at a lone table, tapping her foot rhythmically to the beat. Suddenly, someone slid into the empty seat across from her.

"Why so lonely?" a voice asked. Fred. "This is a night for romance and camaraderie."

She looked at him, smiling. "I don't know," she replied, "I don't have anyone to dance with, I suppose."

"You suppose?" Fred raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, 'I suppose'," Hermione said, glaring at him defensively. "What other reason would I have?"

A look of dawning comprehension crossed over Fred's increasingly smug face. "Oooh, you have another reason! What is it? The only person you want to dance with is already dancing? You have a fake leg and you don't want anybody to know?" Suddenly he gasped loudly. "No - you're pregnant so you can't dance and you're keeping it a secret from everyone! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it -"

Hermione reached over and playfully pushed his shoulder, laughing. "If I tell you, will you shut up?" "I swear it on Dumbledore's buttocks." he said, grinning.

"Fred!"

"Go on, tell!"

"Fine, fine."

She pulled her curly locks of brown hair over her face. "I can't dance," she mumbled.

"Sorry, what was that?" asked Fred, laughing.

"I said, I _can't_ _dance_." said Hermione loudly and clearly.

"Really? That's it?" he asked, sounding disappointed and amused at the same time.

"Yes, that's it," she replied, allowing her bouncy hair to return to their usual places beside her face. "What were you expecting, for me to be a robot or something?"

"What's a robot?" asked Fred, looking puzzled.

"Never mind," said Hermione, rolling her eyes.

For a moment they sat in silence, staring at each other. Then Fred stood up and extended a hand to her.

"Come on," he said, "let me teach you." She hesitated for a second, but then took Fred's hand and let him drag her onto the dance floor. The band struck up a new slow, romantic tune.

"Here," said Fred. He placed her left hand on his shoulder and took her right one in his left. He then placed his other hand on her back and slowly guided her through the music.

"Here we go… follow my lead. Okay, now step like this… And then step here… There we go, you're getting the hang of it! One, two, three. One, two, three…"

Once Hermione had learned all the steps, they glided across the dance floor effortlessly, never missing a beat.

"You don't dance like a pregnant woman," Fred teased, twirling her elegantly with a mischievous grin on his face.

"That's because I'm not," replied Hermione once she was facing him again.

"And thanks for the almost-compliment. You're not too bad of a dancer yourself."

"I get around a lot," said Fred, dipping her, "danced with a lot of girls. I'm a ladies man."

"Oh, is that so?" asked Hermione, coming up from her dip and resuming the dance.

"It is so," replied Fred.

"Hmm… maybe you are a ladies man after all. I know one lady who's feeling very attracted to you right now."

"Oh really? And who would that lady be?" asked Fred, grinning.

"Me," whispered Hermione, and he was kissing her and suddenly all was right with the world.


	6. Bigger and Smaller

**And here's the next one! The first one for Round Five! I hope you like it!**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Themed**

 **Prompts: Sisters, An Underestimated Individual, "Actions speak louder than words,"**

 **Word Count (not including the AN): 1, 204**

 **Now, without further ado: Bigger and Smaller.**

Between me and Parvati, I was always the smaller one. No, not smaller as in height - in that way, I was always bigger than her - but smaller in other ways. Unloved. Unnoticed. Unworthy of attention.

Between me and Parvati, she was always the bigger one.

I mean, just look at the Yule Ball! She was out there, dancing with the Boy-Who-Lived, while I was stuck _not_ dancing with his gangly, red-headed, grumpy, less famous friend.

My sister was always the more popular one. People would crowd around her in the corridors while we were talking, and push me away. And she didn't care! She _liked_ all the attention. She didn't mind that, after it all, I was all alone. She would always apologize for it, but after a while the apology lost its meaning. Empty words. That was all they were. That was all she spoke.

Everyone acted as if I didn't matter.

And for the longest time, I believed them.

Until one morning, someone showed me that they were wrong.

I remember it as clear as day…

* * *

 _I was sitting beneath the beech tree at the shores of the Black Lake, licking my wounds, when suddenly a strange woman approached me. She seemed to appear out of nowhere, but I knew you couldn't Apparate in or out of the grounds. I had never seen her before. She had soft chocolate brown eyes, dark hair, and wore long, flowing silver robes that touched the floor and cascaded in gentle waves all around her._

" _Hello," she said. Her voice was soft, distant, and mysterious. "You look troubled. Is there something wrong?"_

 _I was too shocked to reply straight away. She picked up on this immediately._

" _I'm sorry if I startled you," she said. "All I meant was to see if you were feeling well."_

" _I - I'm fine, thank you," I stammered, pressing my back against the tree and pulling my legs up to my chest._

 _She looked into my eyes for a moment, her expression sympathizing. "No," she said, "I don't think you are."_

 _I stared, incredulous. "Excuse me if I sound rude, but who_ are _you?"_

 _The strange woman didn't seem to hear me. "I know that you're feelings are less than sweet toward your sister right now. But you know, there's nothing to be bitter about. Because your sister has done nothing."_

 _I was outraged. This - this - mysterious stranger just basically pops out of the ground right in front of me, seems to read my mind, and then just tells me off like I'm some sort of naughty child? "Excuse me?" I exclaimed. "Is supposed to be a pep talk of some kind? Because if so, it's hardly working. I mean, how is saying that my sister did nothing supposed to make me feel better, when you so obviously know that she's-"_

" _Yes, I know she's the source of your anger. And that's what I'm saying. She did nothing. She did nothing to stop the crowds from pushing you away. She did nothing to try to make her apologies sincere. She did nothing to stop you from feeling like you didn't matter."_

 _I frowned. That was not what I expected at all._

" _But I came here to tell you that you_ do _matter. You underestimate yourself. No matter what other people try to make you think, you are the most important person in the world. You're better than your sister. You always have been, and you always will be. I can guarantee you that. You are the bigger person."_

 _There was a long stretch of silence. After a minute, I slowly and sadly shook my head._

" _No. I'm sorry, but you're wrong. Parvati is the bigger person._ She's _more popular. She gets all the love, the attention-"_

" _That may be correct, but to be greater is not to be popular! To be greater is to do great things. Look at what your sister has done compared to what you have done! All she's done is spread gossip and rumors and hang out with her friends. Meanwhile you - you've dealt with everything that has happened to you without even shedding a tear even once_. _And that's amazing! It's more than anything you're sister has done, did, or will do. After all, actions speak louder than words," she said, winking at me._

 _I just sat there for a minute, thinking about what she had said. I thought back to all the times when I had felt shunted because of Parvati. I couldn't even count how many times that was. But then, I started remembering all of the times when I had felt truly and wonderfully happy.. Fooling around with my friends occasionally, getting my exams back with an O, classes where I had a reputation for getting everything right… I suddenly realized I didn't need Parvati to enjoy myself. She had friends, and I had mine. There was no need to mope around when I could be having fun! Then, slowly, a big smile spread across my face._

" _You know what," I said, looking up at her and grinning, "I think you might be right."_

 _I ran up into the castle, full of renewed energy. It was only when I had already ran halfway across the grounds when I remembered to say thank you._

 _I turned around, but she had already disappeared._

 _The next day, I walked over to the Gryffindor table and found Parvati, who, strangely, was sitting all alone. I sat myself down at the seat next to her and helped myself to a bit of toast._

" _So," I said, swallowing the last bit of bread, "Why are you sitting all alone today? Where are all your friends?"_

" _I asked them to sit somewhere else today," she shrugged._

" _What for?"_

 _She just shrugged again._

" _I forgive you." I said suddenly. Parvati looked confused._

" _For what?" she asked._

" _Nothing," I replied, smiling. "It's just - I forgive you."_

 _I didn't really know why I was telling her this. I guess I just wanted to hear myself say it. It felt like a giant weight was being lifted off my shoulders as I said it, and I beamed from ear to ear, feeling more freer and happier than I had in my whole entire life. It was the best feeling in the world._

" _Well, okay then." She said, turning back to her breakfast. But after a minute, she turned to face me again._

" _Padma," she said, putting her hands on mine, "you're better than me, you know that? You're better than I have been or ever will be. Just remember that, okay?"_

 _I just smiled at her some more and nodded. But then something registered in the back of my mind._

 _Something that Parvati said had sounded very similar to something else that I had heard very recently…_

 _And all at once, it clicked._

 _I gasped and pointed at her. "It's you! You were her! And - and - the reading my mind thing! You take Divination! And we're twins, too! It all makes sense! You're her! And she's you! I can't believe it! I really can't-"_

 _Parvati covered my mouth with her hand. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said with a sly smile._


	7. The Christmas Prank

**And here's the next one! Came quick, didn't it? Anyway, here goes;**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Short Story**

 **Prompts: Discipline, Wet Towel, Robes**

 **Word Count (not including AN): 1,167**

 **Here it is: The Christmas Prank.**

Here it was. The ultimate test. The most challenging challenge the Weasley twins had ever faced.

Showing discipline.

It was Christmas, and Auntie Muriel, as usual, was coming over to the Burrow for Christmas dinner like she did every single year. And, every single year at Christmas dinner, when Auntie Muriel would come over to the Burrow, Fred and George would prank her. It was practically a Christmas tradition. But not this time.

The night before, Mrs. Weasley had pulled the twins aside as everyone else got ready for bed. "You boys had better not prank your Auntie Muriel this time around," she had said, "or you're really going to get it." She had looked so serious that even Fred and George did not dare question her.

So that was why, this Christmas dinner, the twins were dressed in their best formal black robes, didn't smell like smoke, and had positively no excitement about either of them.

"Lighten up," said Mrs. Weasley when she saw them, "It's Christmas! Your favorite!"

"It doesn't feel like Christmas," mumbled George.

"Especially not with _Auntie Muriel_ ," added Fred, and they both gave an exaggerated shudder at the name.

Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes.

Just then, a loud knocking sound came from the direction of the kitchen, accompanied by the sound of what was sure to be their absolute _favorite_ aunt.

"Hello? Anyone there? Open this door! I can't exactly wait out here forever; I'm 97!"

Mrs. Weasley rushed over and hurriedly opened the door, revealing what looked like a bad-tempered flamingo (at least to the twins). She looked even more so now because she was wearing her pink feathered hat.

"Ah, finally! Now, go get me a chair, Ginevra, I can't stand for long, I'm 97! And you two!" hollered Auntie Muriel, pointing a bony finger at the twins. "You look like you've just been to a funeral! What happened to Christmas spirit around here?"

"You happened," said Fred under his breath. As Ginny passed, dragging a chair with unnecessary force, the twins heard her mutter, "Old bat."

Once everyone was seated, Mrs. Weasley came over to the table, heavily laden trays balancing precariously in her arms. "Here we go," she said, carefully laying down food on the table. "Dig in!" A loud cheer erupted from all of the Weasley children. Auntie Muriel grumbled.

A few minutes later, the Weasley twins were squirming in their seats. What they wouldn't give to play a good prank right about now.

Finally, they had reached their limit. They politely excused themselves and headed up to the bathroom.

As soon as they were inside, they locked the door and sighed in relief. "I don't know if I could've taken that any longer, Georgie," said Fred.

"Same here, Freddie," said George. Fred reached over to the sink and wiped his face with a wet towel. "How long will we be able to keep this up?" asked George. "I mean, you don't really think that we should go a whole Christmas without playing a prank on Auntie Muriel?"

"Of course not," said Fred, "but it's not like we'll be able to do anything. Not with Mum watching us like a hawk the whole dinner."

"So what should we do?" asked George, slumping down on the floor in defeat.

"We could do an anonymous prank," said Fred slowly, his eyebrows furrowed. "Then nobody would know it was us."

After thinking about for a moment, George grinned. "Perfect!" he exclaimed. Fred quickly shushed him, and together, in the cramped bathroom, they devised their perfect master prank. It was a masterpiece, as they both agreed when it was finished.

A little bit later, Fred and George walked innocently into the dining room.

"There you two are," said Mrs. Weasley. "Where have you been? We're almost on dessert!"

"We've, uh, been in the - er -" stuttered Fred, desperately looking to George for help.

George thought fast. "We've been in the - er - the attic! The attic," he said. "Yeah, me and Fred thought we heard the ghoul's ghostly wailing up there. We didn't want it to ruin the dinner, so we went up and calmed it down. Took a while, stubborn old thing." They both grinned nervously.

"Okay then," said Mrs. Weasley, raising her eyebrows. "Sit back down and finish your dinner." The twins quickly resumed their spots at the table and ate as fast as they could.

In the middle of the large serving of apple tart, George dropped a bit on the floor. "Oops," he said, grinning. He went under the table to retrieve it, but could still hear Auntie Muriel's muttered "Pigs."

After he had resurfaced, he nodded subtly to Fred. Phase one was complete. "Sorry about that, everyone," he said, sitting down in his seat once again. They managed to eat the rest of the tart without disturbance.

Until, that is, Mrs. Weasley served the rhubarb crumble.

"Whoops," said Fred, "dropped my spoon." He bent down under the table to get it, and, once he had retrieved it, used it to tap several carefully placed dungbombs beneath one certain chair.

All at once, they exploded, leaving behind a very, _very,_ stinky smell. Everyone wrinkled their noses.

"Ew," said Ginny, her voice sounding somewhat strange as she pinched her nose, "What's that smell?"

"It's coming from Auntie Muriel's chair!" exclaimed Fred, resurfacing and pointing accusingly at her.

"Well, I never!" shouted Auntie Muriel. "How dare you accuse me? I'm 97, for your information, as such incapable of creating such a - a - a stench!" Then, suddenly, her bulging eyes widened and this time it was _her_ that pointed the finger of blame. "You two!" she said, pointing at the twins. "You did this!"

"Who, us?" said the twins in unison, looking as innocent as possible while covering their noses at the same time. " _Never!"_

Auntie Muriel practically had steam pouring out of her nostrils. "You boys'll be written out of my will! You mark my words!" she shouted, hobbling over to the door and slamming it shut behind her.

Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were opening all the windows while the Weasley children all let out a loud cheer. "Fred and George! Fred and George! Fred and George!" they chanted, pounding the table with their fists and applauding the bowing twins, who were standing on their chairs.

"Do you think she'll come back after this?" asked an excited and wide-eyed Ginny. "This was your best prank yet!"

"Well, nobody can read that old bat's mind, but - wait." said George, pausing. "How did you know that was us?"

Ginny and the others rolled their eyes. "You two were the most obvious people in the world." said Bill. "Auntie Muriel only took so long to figure it out because she's basically partially blind."

Fred and George deflated instantly, but popped right back up again. "This is just a minor setback for the majorly awesome Weasley twins!" proclaimed the twins in unison, putting one foot on the table. "We will prevail!"

The children cheered.


	8. Rain Fall

**And the next story has arrived! This round's stories are coming quick, aren't they? And by the way, this story takes place in an AU, so…yeah.**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Drabble**

 **Prompts: Shaking, Umbrella, Slipping Over**

 **Word Count (not including AN): 528**

 **This one is called Rain Fall. Enjoy!**

I remember the exact moment I became friends with Draco Malfoy.

It was a wet, gloomy day in London. Rain poured down on the busy streets, loudly pounding upon the tops of people's heads. It had started so suddenly, many people didn't even have time to fetch a raincoat. One minute, it was the finest day you had ever seen, the next, a typical day in April. You know what they say - April showers bring May flowers. And by the looks of this April, May was going to bring a lot of flowers.

Anyway, I had always been an early riser, and, as a result, got caught up in the heavy rain. I hurried on my way to work, holding my arms above my head to shield myself. Naturally, rushing in the rain doesn't typically turn out well. And I was no exception.

I slipped on the wet sidewalk, landing on my bum.

"Ouch," I winced, rubbing it.

Realizing I was in the middle of the sidewalk on a busy Monday morning, I quickly scooted over to the side, starting to shake from the cold. I put my arms around myself. People cast me dirty looks as they passed.

Turns out (just my luck on Mondays), I had landed harder than I thought. I could feel a bruise starting to blossom at the point of impact. I winced again as my fingers brushed it. I checked my watch. I was ten minutes late for work. I groaned aloud. Panic rising, I tried to ignore my bruise and stand up, but it wasn't letting me do so. Knowing that it would be useless to ask for help from the people who were passing me by, I attempted to grab a lamp post that was near me, but the rain had made it slippery and impossible to get a grip on. I cursed under my breath.

Suddenly, a pale white hand appeared in front of my eyes. I looked up. The hand belonged to a smiling man with pale blond hair and grey eyes, but not the cold kind. The nice kind. He was holding an umbrella, his free hand extended to me. I smiled back at him and gratefully took it.

Under the cover of the man's umbrella, I dusted off my trousers. I stared at him curiously.

"Thank you," I said finally, "but - forgive me if I sound rude - who _are_ you? And why did you help me? It's pretty abnormal for someone to do that on a Monday morning."

The man grinned. "I'm Draco Malfoy. I decided to help you because you looked like someone who needed it." He shrugged. "And you?"

I felt more comfortable now that I knew his name. "Hermione Granger," I said, offering a tentative smile.

"Well, _Hermione Granger_ , where are you off to?" asked Draco.

"Just work," I said, pointing to the building.

"Would you mind me walking you there?" he asked, slightly blushing. "I don't think it's wise to be out here without an umbrella at the moment."

I smiled fully this time. "Sure," I said, and we both walked to my work, happily chatting away without care in the world.


	9. That's Just Family

**Hello all! This is the first story for round six, so that's exciting! We're halfway through the competition! Anyway, enjoy the story!**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Themed**

 **Prompts: Father and Son, Blaming Somebody Else, "I finally did it! I finally-"**

 **Word Count (not including AN): 936**

 **Here's the story: That's Just Family.**

It was summertime in the Potter household, and nine-year-old Albus Potter was watching his brother write out his homework, his younger sister sitting by his side and poking him softly in the arm.

"What, Lily?" Albus hissed, looking down into his sister's round, chocolate-colored eyes. "I'm trying to watch James work."

"Oh, nothing, it's just… can you put me on your lap? I can't see." she said, lifting up her arms.

Albus rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said, dragging out the 'i'. He took his sister by her arms onto his lap and they started to observe James again.

"...Working at this for an hour already and I'm not even halfway through," James was moaning.

He looked at them. "Would you stop watching me?" he asked. "It's creepy."

Albus rolled his eyes again. "First of all, I think that nobody could finish a foot-long piece of homework in one hour, and second of all, I have to watch you so I'll know the answers when I'm at Hogwarts."

James sighed. "I'm going to go to the bathroom," he mumbled, sliding out of his chair and exiting the room. Lily and Albus watched him all the way. "That's super creepy! Stop it already!" he yelled over his shoulder.

Once he had disappeared, Albus got out of his chair to get a glass of water before his brother came back. He walked over to the tap, filled up a glass, and took a big gulp, putting it on the oaken table.

He sat back down and practiced channeling his magic, something that he had been attempting to do since the age of four. He always worked hard to make his father proud of him, but it seemed like he never could.

 _Well,_ he reasoned, _I guess what I'm trying to do seems like nothing next to defeating the most Dark Wizard of all time at seventeen._

He scrunched his eyebrows and squinted his eyes, focusing on the glass, silently willing it to tip over. After a moment of intense concentration, the glass fell forward.

Albus stared at it for a second before bursting out in triumph. "I finally did it! I finally-"

But suddenly he went silent as the glass clattered onto the table-top, spilling out the remaining water onto James' homework.

"Uh oh," murmured Lily.

James chose that moment to come in.

"Hey guys, why - wait, _my homework_!" He rushed over and picked it up by the corners. The ink was running, the words barely legible, and a few drops splashed onto the table.

"No," he groaned, anger flaring quickly. "Who did this?"

Albus panicked. He knew he would get in trouble if he told him, so he did what any nine year old would do.

"It was - er, it was Lily," he said pointing at her.

Lily was appalled.

"It was not!" she shrieked indignantly. "It -"

"Yeah, it was her," said Albus, interrupting her. "You know seven year olds, never want to admit the truth." He smiled nervously, but James wasn't paying attention.

"Dad!" he called. "Lily ruined my homework!"

"I didn't!" she protested, shooting Albus a dirty look.

Harry and Ginny walked into the room. "Look!" said James, holding up his sopping homework to show them. Harry sighed.

"Lily," he said, "Why did you ruin your brother's homework?"

"I-"

"She did it by accident," said Albus, talking over his sister. "She didn't mean to."

Harry frowned. "Why can't your sister talk for herself?" he asked.

"Uh - er - because-" stuttered Albus.

"It's because you're a liar!" yelled Lily, stamping her foot on the ground.

Harry frowned even more. "Albus, come with me. Lily, stay here with your mother."

Albus gulped nervously. He followed his dad out of the room and into the living room, well out of earshot of the dining room.

"Albus," asked Harry once he and Albus had stopped. "Why did you lie to me and your mother?"

Albus shuffled his feet, looking down at them ashamedly. "How did you know?" he mumbled.

"Dads always know," said Harry with a small smile. He knelt so that he was eye-level with his son.

"I did it because I was afraid that you would be mad at me," he said, looking up.

"I'm not mad, Al. I'm just disappointed." said Harry. His voice was gentle, but there was a touch of sadness behind his eyes.

Albus' heart sank. In his opinion, disappointed was worse than mad. After all, his goal was to make his father proud of him!

"Now, you have to go and apologize to James and Lily, okay?"

"Okay."

They walked back to the kitchen.

"Guys," said Harry, putting a supportive hand on Albus' shoulder. "Al has something to tell you."

Albus was nervous. He hesitated. "Er - I - I - uh - I'm sorry," he mumbled, tripping over his words.

"For what?" asked James.

"For being a lying, tattle-taling, sister-blaming idiot!" screamed Lily.

"Yeah, for that," murmured Albus.

"You mean… _you_ spilled water all over my homework?" James gasped.

"Yeah," said Albus, "and I'm sorry."

James and Lily looked at each other for a moment before breaking into wide smiles.

"It's okay," said Lily, going over to hug her brother. "I just wanted you to say sorry."

"Yeah, it's fine," said James, walking over to them as well. "Mum's fixed my homework anyway."

And he hugged them too.

Harry and Ginny watched proudly, big smiles on their faces.

"You know, it kind of reminds me of me and my brothers when we were little," said Ginny. "We'd get into fights all the time, but we'd always forgive each other in the end. Because that's just family."


	10. Fishy (Crookshanks The Detective)

**Hello everyone! I'm sure you're wondering what happened to my daily updates, especially since it's for a competition and there are deadlines. Well, to tell you the truth, I was removed from Ravenclaw due to my recent case of writer's block. But now, I am fully recovered (hopefully) and on Gryffindor team, ready to rock this competition! Here we go!**

 **House: Gryffindor**

 **Category: Themed**

 **Prompts: Diagon Alley**

 **Word Count (not including AN): 509**

 **Presenting: Fishy (Crookshanks The Detective).**

 _Hisssss…_

Crookshanks snarled at each passerby as they walked past him, creating a wide circle around the perimeter of his cage.

After a few minutes of this, people had gotten the message and stayed to their side of the room. I mean, he lived there. They were only temporary residents. Why should _they_ be taking up _his_ space? He was there before them.

He sat back, growing tired, and then proceeded to glare at the people who dared steal a glance at him.

But then, a red-headed boy burst into the shop, causing all eyes to snap onto him. He was closely followed by a bushy brown-haired girl and a boy with black hair, glasses, and a strange, lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.

"Ron, don't be so loud," scolded the girl exasperatedly. "You're loud enough to wake the dead, for heaven's sake.

Crookshanks stood up and prowled around his cage, his narrowed eyes following the Ron-thing's every move. He sniffed the air. Something smelled… fishy.

"Here you go, Crookshanks," said the assistant wearily, poking some tuna through the bars of his cage.

 _Oh._

Crookshanks nibbled on the edge of the tuna, sniffing the air again. There really _was_ something fishy out there… And it wasn't fish.

"Excuse me," said the Ron-thing as he approached the counter. "It's my rat. He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt."

"Bang him on the counter," said the saleswoman, pulling out a pair of heavy black glasses.

The Ron-thing put the rat on the counter.

And that's when Crookshanks knew.

He pressed his nose against the bar of his cage. _Fishy._

"… old is this rat?" asked the saleswoman, inspecting the rat closely.

"Dunno," said the Ron-thing. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother."

"What magical powers does he have?"

"Er - none."

When the Ron-thing said this, Crookshanks' narrowed eyes became practically nonexistent. There was something strange about this whole thing, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

In five…

Four…

Three…

Two…

 _One._

Crookshanks leapt from his cage, landing on the Ron-thing's head, his claws digging into his scalp.

"Ahhhh!" screamed the Ron-thing. "Get this thing off of me!"

Crookshanks jumped off of the Ron-thing's head, pouncing on the rat, but he was able to scramble away before Crookshanks could reach him.

The rat ran to safety, squeaking in fear, with Crookshanks hot on his tail. People screamed as Crookshanks and the rat scrambled over their feet.

But in all the commotion, the rat was able to escape.

Crookshanks hissed in annoyance, slinking away. But before he could reach his cage, someone picked him up.

"Hi!" said the girl that had accompanied the Ron-thing, a bright smile lighting up her face. "I'm your new owner!"

* * *

 _This better be worth it,_ Crookshanks grumbled in his head as he glared at the pocket where the rat was snuggled while he laid in the bushy haired girl's arms. _I'm only doing this because someone has to watch you._

His stomach rumbled.

 _But first, fish._


	11. A Trip to the Grocery Store

**Hello everyone! This story, as always, is for the Houses Competition, but it will be the last one for Year One. But who knows, maybe I'll join again in Year Two. And, by the way, this is late, but I thought it was a good story, so I published it anyway! I will probably extend this into a multi-chap, so be on the lookout for that! Anyway, on with the story!**

 **House: Gryffindor**

 **Category: Drabble**

 **Prompts: Dudley Dursley, Shopping**

 **Word Count: 258**

 **The final story for Year One: A Trip to the Grocery Store**

Dudley sighed as he walked along the shopping aisle with his mother as she picked up various spices and canned soup.

"Mum, when are we going home?" he whined as she inspected the label of some canned tomatoes.

"In a minute, darling," she said, not looking up from the can.

Dudley groaned but trudged along as she put the can into the cart and rolled it to the deli.

"One pound of turkey, please," she requested.

As the man prepared her order, Dudley started whining again. "Why do we need all this food anyway?" That wasn't something he ever thought he'd hear himself say, but then again, he _was_ missing _The Great Humberto_ right now. "Because of Daddy's big dinner party, Diddykins," she said, rummaging through her purse for some change.

"But we already _have_ food!" said Dudley.

"Yes, pumpkin, but we need special food for our guests."

"But—"

"We don't want them to eat all of your food, do we, sweetheart?"

This was enough to calm him down for a few minutes, until he spoke again.

"Mummy, what are we going to do about the freak?"

Petunia paused in the act of handing some money to the grocer.

"We'll just leave him in his room, of course. And don't call him 'freak' in public."

Across the room, a man looked at them curiously.

"Excuse me," said the man, walking towards them. "But I don't think it's very polite to call someone 'freak'."

"And who might you be?" asked Petunia, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Remus. Remus Lupin."


	12. Breathless

**And here's the first story for Round One of Year Two of the Houses Competition! I'm back on Ravenclaw, which is super exciting! Enjoy!**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Drabble**

 **Prompt: Canon Pairing**

 **Word Count (not including AN): 371**

 **And special thanks to the lovely ladies 2D and Niamh for betaing!**

 **Here it is! Drumroll, please: Breathless.**

All right, so he's annoying.

A stuck-up, good-for-nothing, snot-faced jerk. I've known that since we were eleven years old, bright-eyed and bushy tailed, walking into Hogwarts for the very first time.

But here's the thing - he's also kind of adorable.

His dark brown eyes that sparkle with mischief and light up with laughter. Purposefully tousled black hair from constantly ruffling it. I told him it's annoying. My heart tells me otherwise.

It kind of gives me a thrill whenever I look at him. Recently, in the interest of being honest, I've been staring at him an awful lot.

And he's a bully. An awful one; horrible to Sev, played more dirty tricks than I can count, lost immeasurable house points.

But he's trying to change. For me. And that makes me smile, makes something flutter in the depths of my stomach when I think about him.

Just _maybe_.

There's also the part where he asks me out every hour or two, and in the most ridiculous ways. It never fails to make me laugh when I remember them.

Especially that time with the singing suit of armor, plate of pancakes, and the cat that actually turned out to be Professor McGonagall…

But let's not get into that.

He's still going at it, ever since the fourth year - he claims that I'm the only one for him, and I always will be.

It's actually kind of sweet.

I've checked the time, which is a dreadful habit I've developed, but something that I cannot seem to shake. He's due again in an hour. He'll find me, somehow. He always knows where I am.

Which sort of makes him a stalker. In a loveable, hopelessly romantic sort of way.

Anyway, I've thought about about it, and this time, maybe I'll say yes.

Because he just makes me breathless.

Maybe. Just maybe.

* * *

"Lily Evans," he says, sitting down at the chair across from me. "Will you-"

"Yes," I blurt out.

"Oh, come on, just - wait, what?"

He looks like a deer in the headlights. I laugh, and the grin that erupts across his face is enough to leave me gasping for air.

"Yes, James," I say, smiling at him. "I will go out with you."


	13. A Pure White Peacock

**And here's the next one! Enjoy!**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Short**

 **Prompt: Peacock**

 **Word Count (not including AN): 1,145**

 **I present: A Pure White Peacock.**

It was the middle of the first Wizarding War, and two members of the Order of the Phoenix were gathered at the base, ready to receive directions.

"Marlene, Dorcas," said Mad-Eye Moody. "We believe that Voldemort is hiding out in Lucius Malfoy's rodent-infested hole. Your task is to go undercover and find out about the Death Eaters' plans. We need to know where to target our attacks. Understood?"

"You can count on us, Mad-Eye," replied Dorcas, twirling her wand between her fingers.

"We'll be in and out before you know it," added Marlene, performing a mock salute, a confident smile on her face.

"Good. This Polyjuice potion will only last one hour each, so use it well." Marlene and Dorcas relaxed, shooting each other assured glances. And remember: Constant vigilance!"

Both girls jumped, hands over their hearts.

* * *

"Marlene, _what_ are you doing?"

Dorcas stared at her partner unbelievingly as she stumbled into their hiding place in the bushes, hurriedly pulling a comb through her tangled hair.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she hissed. "I'm not much of a morning person, and this mission is so _early_!"

"Marlene, it's ten o'clock."

"Exactly!"

Dorcas sighed as Marlene vanished the comb.

"Okay," she said, peeking through the hedges, "I've got the Polyjuice." She handed Dorcas a bottle of murky brown substance.

"Ugh," she said, revolted. "Who am I transforming into anyway?"

"Nott," replied Marlene. "And I'm Avery."

"Couldn't we at least transform into girls? Boys are so awkward."

"Look, this situation isn't ideal for anyone, okay? Just roll with it."

"Bottoms up."

"Cheers."

They clinked their vials together and tilted their heads back, downing the potion.

The girls grimaced, vomit threatening to come up towards the surface.

Soon enough, where they had stood, two Death Eaters replaced them.

"Disgusting," said Dorcas, her voice coming out low and deep. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"No," Marlene agreed. "Come on. We have no less than an hour to do this."

They emerged from the bushes and strode confidently up to the iron-wrought gate that stood in their way. Raising their arms, they passed through as if it were nothing but an illusion.

"That's something I could get used to," said Marlene once they were at the other side of the gate. "It's almost like a secret passcode, but cooler."

Dorcas rolled her eyes.

They approached the front door cautiously.

"Do you want to or should I?" asked Marlene, gesturing to the knocker.

"I'll do it." She stepped up to the door, took hold of the knocker, and knocked.

Almost immediately, someone answered. It was Yaxley.

"Where have you two been?" He glared. "We've been waiting for you."

"I could ask you the same question," said Dorcas coldly.

"Narcissa invited everyone over for tea," he replied, "in case you didn't get the invitation."

"Uh, sorry," said Marlene, straightening out her back and saluting. "I have short term memory. Sir."

He stared.

"Uh, come on, Marle- Avery," said Dorcas hurriedly, pushing Marlene through the doors. "We have some tea to get to. But I need to make a quick detour to the bathroom first, if you don't mind," she added, giving a meaningful look to Marlene.

"Uh, yeah, me too! Must be those pancakes I had for breakfast…"

Once they arrived at the bathroom, Dorcas cast an Imperturbable Charm on the door and exclaimed, "Pancakes? _Really_?"

"Well, what else was I supposed to say? Plus, I'm hungry." As if on cue, her stomach rumbled loudly.

Dorcas rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Marlene, focus," she said. "Our mission takes top priority here."

"But - but - tea! Biscuits, maybe!"

"If you wanted the tea and biscuits, why'd you come here with me?"

"Because mission takes top priority - duh."

"You make no sense sometimes. Scratch that, you make no sense _all_ the time."

"Dorcas. Mission."

"Look who's talking."

A short while later, the duo exited the bathroom.

"This way," Dorcas whispered, stealthily traveling through the luxuriously decorated hallways, beckoning for Marlene to follow her.

"You know it's more suspicious if we do - well, what you're doing right now?" Marlene commented, walking as casual as can be.

"Right." She corrected herself. "So, if you were Lucius Malfoy, where would you hide your evil mastermind master?"

"Hmm…" Marlene tapped her chin, considering. "I would hide him somewhere someone wouldn't ever go to… Not in a million years. _The library."_

" _Seriously_?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, fine. We'll check there, but just so I can say 'I told you so' when there's no one to be found."

"We'll see."

* * *

"I told you so," whispered Marlene, crouching behind a plushy couch as she peeked over the edges.

"Where are Avery and Nott?" asked the Dark Lord.

"Oh, of course. That's just perfect." whispered Dorcas sarcastically.

"They're usually quite punctual…"

"They - er - had to make a detour, my Lord," said Yaxley, bowing. "Something about a bad breakfast…"

"Quiet." Voldemort held up a hand, and the room stilled. "There's someone here."

The Death Eaters looked around in alarm.

"Come out," he said sinisterly. "Or I shall _make you_."

Marlene looked at Dorcas fearfully. _What do we do?_ she mouthed. Dorcas looked at her, and her terrified eyes were all the answers needed.

" _Homenum Revelio_."

Something peculiar rippled across the room, having no form and yet lapping against you like the ocean waves. A tsunami, more like it.

The girls were helpless.

"There," said one of the Death Eaters. They could only assume that he was pointing to them.

But when they got to the back of the couch…

… No one was there.

"What?" exclaimed Yaxley. "We must find them, now!"

He looked down the hall and saw two ripples in the air that seemed like they were… Moving? Farther and farther away from him…

"Disillusion Charm," he muttered. "Clever. But it's not that easy, pal."

He Apparated in front of them.

"But - but you're not supposed to be able to Apparate in here!" exclaimed Dorcas in shock.

"It wouldn't have hurt to try." He smirked.

He bound their hands and took their wands. "Lucius,"he called down the hall to the quickly approaching group of Death Eaters. "I'll leave these two to you." And he sauntered away.

By now, their disguises had faded completely, leaving just a struggling Marlene and Dorcas.

"Well, well, well," said Lucius, towering over them and smirking. "Marlene McKinnon and Dorcas Meadowes. Pleasure. I know _you'll_ be pleased at where you're going next…"

He waved his wand and in an instant, two pure white peacocks stood where they had once been.

"You'll look quite nice in our front yard."

Nobody knows what happened to Marlene McKinnon and Dorcas Meadowes. Everyone says they're dead. Soon that's what everybody believes. Time passes until they are nothing but memories to the people who loved them. But they are there, two pure white peacocks on the Malfoy's front lawn.


	14. Through the Years

**I seem to be a sucker for Jily the past few rounds… Eh. Enjoy!**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Drabble**

 **Prompt: Diagon Alley**

 **Word Count (not including AN): 522**

 **And this one: Through the Years.**

I've seen many things through the years.

I've owned Madam Malkin's for as long as I can remember; it has been passed down through generations.

But Lily and James Potter were truly something else.

Before their first year at Hogwarts they had both arrived on the same day, coming to my shop at the same time - her, bright and energetic, sparkling eyes filled with wonder; him, relaxed and casual - despite it all being an act, hazel brown eyes filled with laughter.

I remember it like it was yesterday…

* * *

 _They collided as they walked into the shop, bumping shoulders by accident._

" _Excuse me," said Lily - she always was the polite one._

" _Yeah, excuse you," said James obnoxiously._

 _Lily was undeterred._

" _I'm Lily Evans," she said, holding out her hand, a bright smile in accompaniment._

" _James Potter," he said, crossing his arms, an almost imperceptible sparkle in his eyes._

* * *

A magical moment. Oh, but their third year...

* * *

 _James was here shop first. Maybe it was a birthday present, or a fancy get-together. But he was looking through the racks, searching for something formal._

 _Only a minute later, Lily walked in._

" _James!" she said in surprise when she spotted him._

" _Oh, hi, Lily."_

" _I'm getting a gift for my sister," she told him. "Maybe something from the magical world will fix things, even if it's only a dress…" Her smile faded._

 _It was quite the awkward situation to be in._

 _James stuck his hands in his pockets. "Lily… I'm not that good at comfort speeches, but…" He took a deep breath. "You shouldn't listen to what your sister says about you._ I _think you're wonderful." He blushed and looked at the ground._

" _Oh," Lily looked taken back. "Oh - well, thank you."_

* * *

Seventh year especially...

* * *

" _Liiiiily!"_

" _Well, my day just got ruined."_

 _Lily was being fitted for robes as James pranced into the shop._

" _Do I even have to ask anymore?"_

" _Not really."_

" _Knew it. So, what's your answer?" James asked, tilting his head._

" _If I say yes, will you stop bothering me?"_

" _...Yes?"_

" _Fine," Lily groaned, crossing her arms. "One_ _date. That's it. Period. End of story."_

" _You mean it?"James' eyes were as round as a deer's._

 _Lilyd held his gaze for just a moment. "Yeah, I do."_

* * *

That was the start of something incredible indeed.

* * *

 _They walked into the shop together, hand in hand._

" _Look, Lily," said James. "This is where it all started." He paused. "I have a question to ask you." She looked confused._

" _Just - turn around for a second. No peeking."_

" _Okay, James can I look now?" she asked after a few moments, almost laughing. "I-"_

 _She froze. James was kneeling before her, a ring in one hand. "Will you marry me?"_

 _She covered her mouth with her hands. "Yes, James," she replied, tears welling.. "Yes, I'll marry you."_

 _The shop erupted into applause._

* * *

But then, the most special moment.

* * *

 _Lily and James Potter opened the door, the bell jingling away. I looked up._

 _Swaddled in Lily's arms was a bundle of blue blankets._

" _Oh, Lily," I said, rushing over. "Is that..?"_

" _Yes," she replied, beaming. "Little Harry James Potter."_


	15. Old Friend

**Hello! Here's the next story! By the way, I will be absent for a bit, because I'm taking a short leave from Ravenclaw. Now, on with the story!**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Category: Drabble**

 **Prompt: Phoenix**

 **Word Count (not including AN): 492**

 **Here it is: Old Friend.**

Grief.

Immeasurable, indescribable grief.

He was gone. Never coming back.

As Fawkes soared through the open air, all he felt was the grief.

His fiery wings brushed the clouds and he dove down sharply, the wind waging war against him, and skimmed the water, sending thousands among thousands of ripples to travel though it, eventually vanishing as though they had never existed. But still, a stream of tears rushed down his face, and his flight faltered when Fawkes imagined Albus' face, smiling down at him.

A millennia of living, and he had never met someone quite like him.

A millennia of living, and he had made everything worth it.

But of course, time goes on, and all good things must come to an end.

Fawkes only wished this one didn't.

He had left behind Hogwarts, his home, the office where he had lived and died so many times over, with nothing but a song and a few memories. He didn't know his destination, only that he wanted no reminder of the tragedy.

Not that he was going to forget about it anytime soon.

Fawkes knew why he had died. It had been for a greater cause. But if that greater cause meant death? Maybe it wasn't so great.

Fawkes paused his flight, looking around. There was nothing but blue seas and open skies. He let a small sliver of fear enter him. For the first time in many years, he felt truly alone. The world seemed bigger than ever. This had never happened while he was still alive.

But now, he was not.

* * *

After many days of searching, Fawkes landed on a small hill. He found a cave fit for living and settled.

His survival instincts kicked in. This hadn't happened in quite a while, not since he had taken him in, and they didn't seem to come back easily. Fawkes hadn't been ready to move on from him. Not yet. Not ever.

There was not a day that went by that Fawkes didn't think of him. Although the grief eventually faded, it was replaced by longing to see him once more, even for just a brief moment. There wasn't anything he wouldn't have traded just to spend one more day with him.

* * *

Years went by, decades, centuries, Fawkes couldn't tell, but through everything he didn't forget him. He couldn't. His island bagan to decay, and eventually he had to search for a new one, leaving behind again another home. A tear silently slid down his face.

Finally, after thousands of years, Fawkes was relieved.

One Burning Day, he felt a familiar tingle, yet somehow it was… different. He took a deep breath and when he erupted, his last thought was his face.

Dumbledore.

" _Hello, old friend," said a beaming face, half moon spectacles on and a twinkle in his eye. He reached out a hand. "Welcome."_

A gust of wind flew by, and Fawkes' ashes were scattered into the vast ocean.


End file.
